Teheran may not be able to pitch in All-Star Game

Braves ace is worthy of a nod but is also on track to be ineligible for contest

By Joe Morgan / MLB.com

ATLANTA -- Braves ace Julio Teheran has certainly made a compelling case to start for the National League in this season's All-Star Game on July 15 at Target Field.

But unless Atlanta alters its rotation, an unlikely move that would affect the club's other four starters, Teheran will simply have to enjoy his first career Midsummer Classic from the dugout, along with NL assistant coach and Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez.

After giving up just one run in seven innings against the Mets in a 3-1 win on Wednesday night at Turner Field, Teheran is scheduled to make two more starts before the All-Star break. The first would come on Tuesday, followed by a turn on Sunday, July 13, two days before the game.

According to Major League Baseball rules, pitchers who start regular-season games on the Sunday preceding the All-Star Game are ineligible to pitch in the game and will be replaced on the roster. However, they are still recognized as All-Stars and are invited to be introduced in uniform and participate in other festivities.

Gonzalez summed up Teheran's candidacy for the Midsummer Classic following the second-year hurler's 16th quality start in 18 outings this year.

"Every time he goes out there, you feel pretty good that he's going to give you a chance to win the ballgame," Gonzalez said.

Although Teheran's selection to the game is reliant upon National League manager Mike Matheny and the players' ballot, fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- online or on a mobile device -- using the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot Sponsored by Experian until Thursday at 11:59 p.m. ET. The 2014 All-Star Game will be played at Target Field on Tuesday, July 15.

The 2014 American League and National League All-Star teams will be unveiled on the Taco Bell All-Star Selection Show on Sunday, beginning at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, with further details to follow on MLB.com. Immediately following the announcement of the AL and NL All-Star rosters, fans can begin voting to select the final player for each league's 34-man roster via the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com Final Vote Sponsored by Experian. Fans will cast their votes from a list of five players from each league over the balloting period.

One face that will likely be seen at Target Field in less than two weeks is that of Rays left-hander David Price, an ace fans and analysts believed the Braves should have sought in a trade during the offseason. But Teheran has developed into a frontline starter, compiling a 2.29 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP and 108 strikeouts compared to only 26 walks in 126 innings.

He has given up two earned runs or fewer in 14 of his 18 starts this season, and his 1.23 ERA in nine home starts is the best mark in the Majors.

Perhaps most impressively, Teheran's eight wins are only three behind Rick Porcello, Adam Wainwright and Masahiro Tanaka, despite the fact that the Braves right-hander ranks 88th in the Majors among qualified pitchers with a run support average of 3.17.

"Every time you give Julio some run support, it's a really good thing for the Braves," Atlanta third baseman Chris Johnson said. "He's continually his All-Star self and hopefully he goes to the All-Star Game."

Should Teheran make his first All-Star team, he will join his fellow stars on the field on Monday, July 14, for the Home Run Derby.

Fans this year once again can participate in the Home Run Derby Fan Poll. Fans will have the opportunity to select three players in each league who they would most like to see participate in the Gillette Home Run Derby. The 2014 Home Run Derby will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Radio in the United States beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, July 14.

And the voting doesn't end there. The final phase of All-Star Game voting will again have fans participating in the voting for the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. During the Midsummer Classic, fans will vote exclusively online at MLB.com via the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote Sponsored by Pepsi, and their voice will represent 20 percent of the overall vote that determines the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.

The 85th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.

Joe Morgan is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.